Friday, January 27, 2006

Big Changes in Khao Lak Since Last Trip

January 22, 2006: In Khao Lak

I arrived and thought i was in the wrong village! This place has come so far since I left. Khao Lak itself is almost completely open for tourists. This is great news and I'm very happy to see that tourists have started to revisit this area.

This also means that it is almost time to move on from Khao Lak and let them reclaim this beautiful area from the volunteers. Some of the group has left and more are leaving to join the rebuilding efforts after the earthquake that took place in Pakistan.

As far as the construction sights go.... they are moving right along too.

Kao Kor Khao Island is almost ready for the dedication... where other sites just started building when i left here 6 weeks ago.

There is a new form of construction happening in Naem Keam. It involves stacking bricks (rebar running through the holes) using a funnel to pour cement into the holes, and after the foundation is solid the houses are rendered. About 30% of this entire community has been built in 10 weeks.

Naem Keam volunteers only work on a house when the owners (receivers) are there to work as a team. This has been a great success and the village is booming fast.

I will be spending the next week working at the other sites .. Naem Keam, Tap Tawan, Environmental clean up.. and maybe Thaikea to help on some of their more serious projects where lots of hands are needed.

This past week our safe house was reclaimed by the owner, who is looking at moving back in. I'm not sure if I told you all about this man... he owns the only house that survived the tsunami (on the island where I work) and unfortunately he lost his wife in the house due to the tsunami.

He donated the space for our use during the rebuilding to store supplies/tools/food and our packs. This is also where we have enjoyed lunch every day and the odd sticky rice break since the 36 house project began. I think we are all a bit sad to leave our "safe house".

However Kgong, a guy who we have built a house for (almost complete), has offered to let us use his house until we finish our construction on the island. This is the same guy that takes us in his water taxi back and forth to the island and main land when the ferry is not at the pier.